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Should I not buy a used DLP?

F

fourty03

Member
Hello all..

I am considering picking up a 50" DLP on Craigslist.

I use to own a 42" Samsung and loved DLP ever since...

This is the 50" model, Model # HLS5086WX/XAA

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/ele/2261138704.html


I was not very wise in my purchase last time, and I believe the DMD board on the last set was about to go up when I bought it.

Is there anything I should check out prior to buying it? Should I try getting into the DIAG mode and look at the info?

The last model I bought was shown online it had a problem with an early revision colorwheel..

Thanks for the advice!
 
fourty03 said:
Hello all..

I am considering picking up a 50" DLP on Craigslist.

I use to own a 42" Samsung and loved DLP ever since...

This is the 50" model, Model # HLS5086WX/XAA

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/ele/2261138704.html


I was not very wise in my purchase last time, and I believe the DMD board on the last set was about to go up when I bought it.

Is there anything I should check out prior to buying it? Should I try getting into the DIAG mode and look at the info?

The last model I bought was shown online it had a problem with an early revision colorwheel..

Thanks for the advice!
Click to expand...

Be very aware of what a new one costs - Mitsu has some on the deals pages for $800-ish with warranty (and bigger size) - and your CC will double your warranty. 2 years of warranty for a DLP (and knowledge of where it's 'been') is nothing to sneeze at.

What are you paying for it? If it's $250ish it might be worth considering, otherwise I'd think twice.

..30 seconds later edit, after viewing CL advert - yeah, I'd offer $200 and likely take something in the middle...
 
Bulk and marketing mostly. Can't hang a DLP. Aside from that, if you have a place to put it, they're (IMHO) perfect. I have a Samsung model with LED guns, so there's no or very little need to replace them (they say...) and I'm thrilled with it. I have it in its' own media area with closed windows (ie no or little light) and it's great. 61" of movie goodness.
 
fourty03 said:
I dont see many people with DLPs anymore.. Is it because of the reliability or is it people prefer LCDs more..?
Click to expand...

As dclive said. Bulk and marketing of LCD. Plasma is also superior to LCD but will lose in the end unfortunately. I suppose you could put a DLP on the wall if you made a sturdy shelf tied into 3 or 4 studs but would probably be silly to do so.
 
fourty03 said:
I dont see many people with DLPs anymore.. Is it because of the reliability or is it people prefer LCDs more..?
Click to expand...

I'd say it is because of the push you see for LCDs and Plasmas. If you go into a consumer electronics store and ask for a "modest cost, fairly large HDTV", I'm betting that they won't even show you the DLPs.

It's a pity too, because I actually really like DLPs. I have a 46" Samsung that had the DMD board go like you mentioned, but it wasn't too bad to replace (except that I couldn't find my small screwdrivers :\). Ended up getting a few dust particles on the dome glass that I can sort of notice in dark scenes, but it's not a huge deal.

My 65" DLP is good... my only complaint is that there's still too much wall visible and I should have got the 73" instead 😀.
 
which dlp do not have the rainbow effect from the spinning wheel? does DLP eminate any noise at all? i heard some DLP wheels can make people sick lol.
 
Emulex said:
which dlp do not have the rainbow effect from the spinning wheel? does DLP eminate any noise at all? i heard some DLP wheels can make people sick lol.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't imagine that any newer DLPs should have the rainbow effect.

DLPs can make some get a headache, but since the OP has a DLP already, that shouldn't be a problem 😉.
 
soulcougher73 said:
Plasma is also superior to LCD
Click to expand...

Not necessarily true. I've seen some pretty shitty and obvious dithering and pixel jitter on the darker images on some plasmas. I've always said "plasma for movies where you want contrast ratio, LCD for gaming where you want vibrant and smooth color gradients."

It's easy to find the best and worst of either product and compare them to make a case though.
 
Rainbow effect is mostly associated with first generation or lower end DLP with slow color wheels with too few color segments resulting in slow updates. Better systems with 2x and beyond faster color wheels with repeating and overlapping color segments on the wheel have all but eliminated rainbow artifacts on DLP for 99.99% of users. (the wheel spins faster AND goes through each color two or three times per revolution).

If you still can't stand it or just want to have the best, then get a 3 chip DLP projector which eliminates the color wheel completely.

I have a Panasonic AE4000 1080p LCD projector FWIW.
 
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I believe the LED DLP's also have no color wheel.

I'm looking for a broken DLP to fix and put in my bedroom. Trouble is, the idiots around here think a DLP that needs a color wheel or DMD board is still worth 200-250.
 
I went to a store yesterday that had the larger mitsu's on display. The pics on them were great, albeit quite noticeably darker than the LEDs on display. Talking with the clerk they said that it's common for them to darken and that replacing the bulb would brighten them up considerably. Truth be told, they really don't take up much more space than the LCD's.
 
They range about 15" thick - but if you're not hanging them, it really doesn't make a difference (due to stand to put them on). Having seen the Samsungs that are under half an inch thick, I get the idea of thin, but really..again, it all comes to application whether its really an issue or not.
 
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how about noise and power? Some plasma makes noise (LG does not)? passive shutter tech? it is rear projection so that should be easy to do?

Honestly the ginourmous glass stand on my 2" thick LG is > 19" thick so if you are not hanging it i think its a wash other than OOOH factor when people look back there.

Do you notice that driving by there are alot of folks who sit outside on a chair and look inside their house to watch their monster DLP? I have not figured this out yet (ATL gets VERY HOT(humid too) and VERY COLD). I thought it was a nascar thing but they were watching a wide variety of shows?
 
Pacfanweb said:
I believe the LED DLP's also have no color wheel.

I'm looking for a broken DLP to fix and put in my bedroom. Trouble is, the idiots around here think a DLP that needs a color wheel or DMD board is still worth 200-250.
Click to expand...

I thought LED DLPs just use many LEDs instead of lamp + many mirrors.

As for fixing a DLP, chances are the DMD board fix would only cost around $150-200. I think it would depend on how good the unit itself is for it to be worth $200-250. The color wheel isn't too expensive ( mine's about $120 -- http://www.samsungparts.com/Products/Parts_and_Accessories/PID-BP96-01669A.aspx?model=HLS4676S ), but it's more difficult to replace if I remember correctly.
 
LED DLP works exactly the same as a bulb type; LEDs serve the exact same function as the bulb providing a light source for the mirrors. Same with laservue except now there are 3 single-wavelength lasers providing the light source. Theoretically it should be the most pure color reproduction possible if I understand it correctly.
 
if buying used better check bulb life. I wouldn't buy a used one. last one I bought was remanufactured with a new bulb installed. Tho...good luck! Better be cheap! like in the 200 range. 😀
 
ericlp said:
if buying used better check bulb life. I wouldn't buy a used one. last one I bought was remanufactured with a new bulb installed. Tho...good luck! Better be cheap! like in the 200 range. 😀
Click to expand...

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

If I can recall correctly, I could have swore I got into my other Samsung diag / service menu and it showed the hours / life on the bulb and the TV as well.
 
Just make sure you get a model number and do a little home work before getting a DLP. Most used DLP's will be 720p native resolution which is fine but you can start noticing the difference the larger you go. Bulbs will go out on DLP and LCD projection, it's just a fact of life, but bulbs are getting cheaper by the day. Mostly due to supply and demand. They typicly run around $75 if you know how to change it out in the housing, which is really simple. DLP's are thicker than an LCD, but will almost always be thinner than the stand most people put thier LCD's on anyways.
 
Aikouka said:
I thought LED DLPs just use many LEDs instead of lamp + many mirrors.

As for fixing a DLP, chances are the DMD board fix would only cost around $150-200. I think it would depend on how good the unit itself is for it to be worth $200-250. The color wheel isn't too expensive ( mine's about $120 -- http://www.samsungparts.com/Products...model=HLS4676S ), but it's more difficult to replace if I remember correctly.
Click to expand...

I have an older HLN model, and the color wheel was a bitch to replace. Had to practically dissect the thing to get to it. But it looks like new with a new bulb and wheel.
 
fourty03 said:
I dont see many people with DLPs anymore.. Is it because of the reliability or is it people prefer LCDs more..?
Click to expand...

i got a 60" mitsubishi, i had it for not even a year and the lamp went out luckly i had a warranty but they said they only last 2000 hours and they cost like 250 with labor. the picture on the lcd's look good but i would go with the led t.v they say those last a lifetime
 
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